The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-31
DRIVEN FROM HOME.
White Mems Relentless Persecution
of Law Abiding Indians.
PeaceabIe Apaches Forced to Aban-
don Their Comfortable Homes.
The Case Brought to the Attention
of the Government.

WASHINGTON, Oct 36.-Some weeks ago
the military authorities of Arizona reported
to the War Department that the sheriff of
Pinal county held warrants, the legality of
which was questioned, for the arrest of Es-
kimiZin and twenty-seven other Indians,
living on the San Pedro river in that sterri-
tory, upon acharge of grand larceny and re-
slsting arrest, and had called upon CAPTAIN
Pierce, the commanding military officer at
the San Carlos agency and acting Indian
agent, to aid in the arrest General Miles,
reporting the matter to General Howard,
expressed the opinion that an attempted ar
rest of these Indians by the local civil Off
GERS would prove serious matter if il did
not involve the Territory in an Indian war.
The history of the affair is now made public
in the report just received at the Indian Of
office, from Lieutenant j. w. Watson, of the
Tenth Cavalry, transmitted by Captain
Pierce.
1t appears the Indians have long been the
victims OF outrageous persecution by the
whites; Esklmizin was, until the last few
years, head chief of the Aravoipa and Pinal
Apaches, for whose occupation the San Car
los reservation was originally established.
he was powerful chief and had great in
nuence with the tribe of which the since no.
torlous Geronimo was member Nine
years ago, Eskimizin and number of fol-
lowers of their own accord, desiring to live
In peace with the whites, abandoned tribal
relations and took lands in San Pedro Val
ley under the Indian homestead law. They
built comfortable houses and barns, irrigated
ana fenced their lands, and by their own,
unaldea industry, accumulated considerable
property. This was an entirely new de-
parture in the history of the hitherto fierce
Aapaches. The Interior Department did
everything in its power to assist and protect
them, as did also the officers of the army
stationed in the vicinity.
Before long white settlers began to en-
croach upon the lands and made unsuccess-
ful attempts to dispossess the Indians.
since then the Indians have been the con-
slant victims of maltreatmenU, trickery,
threats OF Violence and impositions in num-
berless ways. Many have been arrested
and taken before district justices of the
peace upon trumped mp charges, all for the
sole purpose of ultimately driving them from
their good homes, that the whites might take
possession. The prosecutions have never
caused the Indians to retaliate but have ac-
comphshed their purpose in driving Eskimi-
yin and his little band from the San Pedro
back to the old reservation. Eskimizn
says he does not wish to struggle longer so
he came back, hoping for home protection
from the whites on the reservation. He and
his people left behind everything. The old
chief left good home, 35 cattle, farming i'm
plements, 270 sacks of corn, quantity of
wheat and barley, good wagon, harness
and his household furniture. Everything
was abandoned to the whites. The last act
OF hostility on the part of the whites was the
arrest of six Indians upon false charges and
the attempted arrest of % others referred TO
above. The sheriff of Pinal county made a
demand upon Captain Pierce for the surren-
der of the accused which has not been COM
piled with. The Indian officials pronounce
the affair shameful outrage upon peaceful
and law abiding Indians, and will take such
steps as are necessary to restore to the In
dians their abandoned property.